Tube-cleaner.



PATENTBD DEC. 29, 1903.

-- W. MULLER.

TUBE CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, 1902.

N0 MODEL.

wai /166366 j /a 1J6 7iid77 Patented December 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM MI TLLER, OF BERNBURG, GERMANY.

TUBE-CLEANER.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 748,206, dated December2 1903- Application filed September 4, 1902. Serial No. 122 ,050. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM MiiLLER, a subject of the Duke of Anhalt,residing at Bernburg, in the Duchy of Anhalt, German Empire, haveinvented certain new and usefullmprovementsin Tube-Cleaners, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvedapparatus for cleaning the interiorof tubes, pipes, and the like, and has a cutter-head or boringbitfurnished with a turbine.

My new tube-cleaner is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a tube in theinterior of which the cleaner is located. Fig. 2 is a similar view, thecleaner being shown partly in section and turned through an angle ofninety degrees from the position illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an endelevation of Fig. l seen from the right hand.

My improved cleaner consists of a cutterhead a, the rear portion b ofwhich constitutes a turbine for driving the device by means ofpressure-water, and of the guide-ring c. The cutter-head is mounted onball-bearings on the spindle d, which is secured to the ring 0. Thelatter is provided with a packing-leather e, which makes a tight jointwith the interior of the tube being cleaned. The head a carries fourcircular knives or cutting disksf g, which rot-ate on their axis. Two ofthese disks f are located at the front of the cleaner and the other two,g, lie laterally. The lateral knives g are inclined ata certain angle tothe wall of the tube in suchmanner that the cutting-surfaces on rotationof the cutter-head slide along the tube-wall, the knives thus exertingascraping action, breaking up the sediment. The front knives f are sodisplaced relatively to one another that the cutting-surfaces bore intothe sediment in the manner of a screw. These rotary cutters have theadvantage that in water-pipes the hemp packing, which during theoperation of making the'joint is frequently driven more or less into thetube, cannot be torn out. Where my cleaner is employed, the only thingthat can happen is that the packing is cut through,

so that the joint cannot be rendered defective. The front disks f serveas advance knives to cut the innermost and frequently softer layer ofsediment. The cutting-surfaces of these knives advance with a screwaction, whereby the operation of the lateral knives g is greatlyfacilitated.

The action of the device is as follows: The apparatus having beenintroduced into the tube, the water presses the leather 6 from theinside against the wall of the tube, so that an absolutely tight jointis made between apparatus andtube. Thus the whole of the water in thepipe is employed to actuate the turbine. The device is regulated bymeans of a wire rope t, attached to the eye h.

It is obvious that the precise construction of the cutter-head-andcooperating parts may be considerably varied without departing from theessential features of the invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

A tube-cleaner comprising a cutter-head a, the rear portion of whichconstitutes a turbine I) mounted on a spindle d and a guidering 0 onsaid spindle, said guide-ring having a cup-shaped, expansiblepacking-ring e making a tight joint with the interior of the tube,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILHELM MuLLER.

Witnesses:

PAUL MULLER, BERNHARD GRATZ.

